by Force, Marie
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve been forced to confront my past more in the last few weeks than I have in years.”
“It’s not lost on me that those are the same weeks you’ve known me.”
She takes my hand, brings it to her lips and looks at me with gorgeous green eyes. The color is still new to me, but the warmth, affection and love are familiar by now yet no less humbling than they were when I first knew her.
“Just when I think I can’t love you any more than I already do,” I tell her, “I find out there’s more, so much more.”
The chime sounds to indicate the front door is opening. “Is it safe to come in?” Addie calls.
“Everyone is dressed,” I say with a smile for Natalie.
Addie comes in, a tray of coffees in hand and a pile of mail that she places on the counter for me to go through when I have time. “Morning! How’d it go with the FBI?”
“Fine.” I take two of the coffees from her and hand one to Nat. “Natalie ruined all his fun.”
“I would’ve liked to have seen that,” Addie says.
“It was quite a show.” Right then and there, an idea comes to me that takes my breath away because it’s that captivating.
“Flynn?” Natalie asks. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just thinking about something for work.”
“He does that,” Addie says with a smile for Nat. “Spaces out in the middle of conversations when he gets a big idea. What is it this time?”
“It’s…” I can’t say it out loud or even entertain the possibility without first speaking to Natalie. “It’s not ready for discussion yet. Early stages.”
The doorbell rings. “That’ll be Tenley,” Addie says of the stylist who has been dressing Natalie for award season. She goes to open the door.
“You’re sure you’re up for this today?” I ask her.
“I’m positive. I wouldn’t dream of missing a chance to celebrate my talented husband.”
* * *
Natalie enjoys the Oscar luncheon at the Beverly Hilton and the opportunity to meet more of my friends and colleagues, who are equally fascinated by her. I take a lot of razzing about giving up my bachelor status, about strapping on a “ball and chain” and all the usual bullshit guys say to each other. But my “ball and chain” is absolutely stunning in a midnight-blue dress that clings to all her sumptuous curves. I’m the envy of every straight guy in the room and a few of the women, too.
After a delicious meal of tasty fish, rice and vegetables, we sit through the comments offered by the Academy’s president as well as the producers of the show, who lecture us about keeping our acceptance speeches to forty-five seconds. I find that amusing. It takes months, sometimes years, to make a quality, award-worthy film, and winners are expected to boil down those years to forty-five seconds.
If I win, and I’m favored to after the run I’ve already had this award season, I suppose I can jam what I want to say into forty-five seconds.
I pose with the other nominees in this year’s class, and the picture probably starts hitting social media before we leave the room.
After the luncheon, Natalie and I return to a suite upstairs, where we’ll spend tonight after the Oscar Nominees Night party at Spago. I’m exhausted after the restless night without much sleep as well as the two glasses of Bowmore I had at the luncheon.
Natalie presents her back to me to unzip the dress. She’s got another dress, a black one this time, hanging in the closet for tonight. She made a joke on the way into town that God forbid she show her face in Hollywood wearing the same dress at two different events on the same day.
I kiss her shoulders and the side of her neck. “How’re you feeling?” I ask, really wanting to know if her period has arrived.
“I’ve still got cramps, but otherwise I’m fine. You?”
“Tired. I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“Do we have time for a nap?”
“You’re reading my mind, sweetheart.” While I remove my suit, she goes around closing the blinds. It occurs to me that every other woman I’ve ever dated would want to spend this afternoon by the pool, using me and my celebrity to see and be seen. Natalie is proving once again that she is exactly perfect for me—and with me for all the right reasons.
We remove the rest of our clothes and crawl into bed together, coming together in a tangle of arms and legs. Though I’ve yet to make love to my gorgeous bride today, the need for sleep is trumping my need for sex. “I love being naked in bed with you, even if all we’re doing is sleeping.”
“Mmm, me, too. Before I met you I didn’t like being naked in the shower,” she says with a laugh that makes me laugh, too. “Now I feel like I spend half my life naked.”
“Want to go for three-quarters?”
She kisses me and runs her fingers through my hair. “Get some sleep while you can. It’s going to be another late night.”
I close my eyes, breathing in the scent of my love, and fall asleep, thinking about the special surprise I have for her tonight.
I’m putting on the jewelry Flynn gave me before the Golden Globes when he comes into the bedroom carrying a small gift bag.
“For you.” He holds out the bag, which I eye with trepidation.
“That had better not be anything sparkly.”
“It might be kinda sparkly.”
He is boyishly handsome in yet another well-cut suit that shows off his broad shoulders and trim waist. Looking at him is one of my favorite things to do. It doesn’t matter if he’s fresh out of bed or turned out for a night on the town, he’s always stunning.
I take the bag from him. “I reserve the right to return this if it’s too much.”
“Okay.”
I remove a small package wrapped in pink tissue paper, revealing a tiny piece of cloth. All I can see are the jewels encrusted on the fabric. “Those had better not be diamonds or anything in the diamond family.”
“They’re crystals. Hold it up.”
I remove the item from the paper, and that’s when I see it’s not jewelry. It’s lingerie. Very fancy panties. A thong, to be more specific. “It’s beautiful.”
“Will you wear it for me tonight?”
“Sure.” I’m eager to please him even if I’ve never been a big fan of thongs. “Where did you get it?”
“A high school friend of Ellie’s runs the most exclusive lingerie shop in Beverly Hills. That’s where I get everything.”
“And you trust her to keep your secrets?”
“Delany keeps everyone’s secrets, which is why her business is booming.”
“When did you go shopping?”
“I didn’t.”
“Let me guess—you made a phone call.”
“Yep, and this one didn’t involve Addie.”
“Thank God.”
“So you’ll wear that tonight?”
“Yes! Now go away and let me finish getting ready.”
“Yes, dear.” He kisses me and leaves the room, Fluff trailing behind him. They seem to have gotten past their spat, which is a relief. Flynn didn’t blink an eye when I brought her with me today. He certainly has people on his payroll who could take care of her for me, but I don’t want others caring for her. Not when I can do it.
I reach under my dress and remove my panties and step into the thong. The string settles between my cheeks, which I normally don’t like, but after having worn a plug for hours, the thong doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I finish getting ready and load the clutch Tenley said would go perfectly with the black dress. I take my phone, tampons (just in case) and lipstick.
The cramps have continued unabated all day, but so far there’s been no sign of my period. Perhaps the birth control shot is throwing off my cycle. In the mail that Addie had delivered was a report on my test results, all of which were negative. I’m perfectly healthy, except for the cramps and an odd buzzing in my head that began during the luncheon. I send off a text to Doctor Breslow, asking if my period might be
affected by the birth control shot.
She writes right back saying that it’s possible I won’t have periods at all during the next three months, which is good to know.
I thank her for the info and finish getting ready.
Tonight’s event is at Spago, and we’re driven to the iconic Beverly Hills restaurant by the security detail. Photographers pounce the second we emerge from the car, but Flynn keeps a protective arm around me. Cameras record every second of our walk into the restaurant.
Many of the same people who were at the luncheon are at this party, and we make the rounds. Flynn gets me a glass of chardonnay and the passed hors d’oeuvres are delicious. But the more I eat and drink, the queasier I become. I’m also overheating.
We’re talking to Flynn’s partners, Jasper and Kristian, and I’m about to ask him if we can find a place to sit when my panties begin to buzz. I manage to suppress a gasp, take hold of his arm and try to stay focused on the conversation despite the vibrator pressed tight against my clit. I’m going to kill him for this.
“Are you okay, Natalie?” Jasper asks in a crisp British accent.
“I’m… It’s a little warm in here. Maybe we could sit?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Flynn guides me to a booth. When we’re seated, he leans in close to me. “Are you okay?”
“I feel weird—and not good weird.”
The buzzing stops immediately. “Define weird.”
“I don’t know. My head feels funny, I’ve had cramps all day, and now I feel sweaty, too.”
He leans in to kiss my forehead. “Holy crap, Nat. You’re burning up. Let’s get you out of here.”
“No! We don’t have to go. This is important to you.”
“The hell it is. We just had lunch with all these same people.”
“I don’t want to ruin your evening.”
“You’re not. I’m just sad it wasn’t the panties making you flush.” He smiles and winks and gets me out of there with the greatest of finesse. We leave through a different door than the one we came in and manage to escape the notice of the paparazzi on the way out, which is a relief. I can only imagine what they’d have to say about us leaving so soon after we arrived.
“Do you want to go home or back to the hotel?”
“We have to go to the hotel. Fluff is there.”
“I could have her brought home if you’d rather be there.”
“The hotel is fine.” I need a bed, and that one is closer. He holds me for the short ride back to the hotel. In the few minutes it takes to ride the elevator to our top-floor suite, I feel a hundred times worse. “Flynn…”
“What, honey?”
“I think I’m sick.”
“I’ll send for a doctor. Don’t worry about anything. It’s probably just a bug.”
“Don’t want you to get it.”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. I never get sick.”
In the bedroom, Flynn gets me undressed and removes the panties. “We’ll save these for another time,” he says, tucking them into his suit coat pocket. He helps me into a regular pair of panties and pulls a T-shirt of his over my head. “Lie back and rest. I’ll see if they can get us a doctor.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’d so much rather be alone with you than in a room full of people, but I’m sorry you don’t feel well. We’ll get you fixed right up.” He kisses my forehead and goes into the other room to use the house phone. I fall asleep to the low rumble of his voice on the phone calling for help.
Chapter 12
I’m so hot. I have to be on fire. And then I’m freezing, my teeth chattering from the chills that torture me. Flynn pulls my hair back while I puke into what might be an ice bucket that he holds for me. My throat hurts too much to ask him what’s wrong with me. Whatever it is, I’ve never felt this bad in my life.
All I can do is sleep when I’m not puking.
Fluff is there, too, whimpering, but it takes more energy than I have to comfort her. I hear Flynn telling her that Mommy is sick. I’ll have to thank him for that when I can. He’s nice to her even after she bit him—again. I love him for that.
I fall back into a restless sleep filled with dreams about things I’d rather forget. I’m at the governor’s mansion, and Oren is there. He’s attacking me, hurting me. I’m screaming and crying and telling him to stop. I beg him to stop, but he doesn’t. Then Flynn’s mother is there, telling me it’ll be okay, that they’re taking care of me.
But Oren pushes her away and tells her to get out before he hurts her, too. I want to protect Stella, but I can’t move. My arms and legs are like lead pipes, refusing to follow my orders.
“Natalie.” Flynn’s voice breaks through the sound of my own screams. “Sweetheart, wake up. You’re dreaming.”
My eyelids seem to weigh a ton. I force my eyes open. He looks terrible. His hair is standing on end and his eyes are wild, as if he’s been awake for days.
“You were dreaming,” he says, wiping tears from my face. He kisses my forehead and both cheeks. “Do you think you can drink some water?”
I’m desperately thirsty, so I nod. Just that small movement sets off a painful blast in my skull that has me gasping.
He brings me a glass of ice water with a straw that he holds for me.
The cold water is like heaven to my parched throat, but it lands with a gurgle in my empty stomach. “What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“You’ve got the flu.”
“Your mom…”
“She was here to check on you yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“It’s been two days, Nat. You’ve been totally out of it. We came very close to taking you to the hospital, but the doctor came here to check on you so we wouldn’t end up in the news again.”
“Two days.”
“Two very long days.”
“Have you slept at all?”
“Not much. I was too freaked out to sleep.”
I want to reach up to touch his tired face, but my arms won’t cooperate. “So sorry to freak you out. And to puke all over you.”
He cracks the faintest of smiles. “You didn’t do that. Came close a few times.”
“Ugh, how sexy.” The thought of nearly puking on him makes me feel worse than I already do. “Sorry.”
“You think I care about that, Nat? God, I was so scared that something was seriously wrong with you and everyone was missing it. I was afraid to sleep, that I would wake up and you’d be… Well, I was scared.”
“I know I must smell gross and I’m probably communicable, but will you please get in bed with me and hold me?”
“I’d be very happy to do that.” He gets up to go around the bed and gets in with me.
I turn away from him because I don’t want to infect him any more than I already have.
“You don’t smell gross. I got to give you a sponge bath yesterday. We enjoyed that very much.”
“We?”
“You and me.”
“So you took full advantage of my feverish state to get handsy with me?”
“You know it.”
His arms around me are exactly what I need. With my head cushioned on his arm and the heat of his body warming me, I begin to feel the slightest bit better. And then I remember… I was expecting my period when I got sick. “Flynn…”
“What, honey?”
“I know we just got settled, but I could use the bathroom.”
“No worries.” He gets up, comes around to lift me right out of bed and carries me into the bathroom. “Take it easy. You’re going to be really weak and wobbly.”
I grasp the sink, hoping to stop the world from spinning. “I’m okay if you want to give me a minute.”
“You can pee in front of me, Nat.”
“I don’t think I can, actually.”
“I’m afraid to leave you.”
“I’ll hold on. I promise.”
“Call me if you need help.”
“I w
ill.”
As soon as the door clicks shut behind him, I get busy checking what’s going on below. Nothing. I’m beyond thankful he didn’t have to deal with that on top of the puking and the rest.
I immediately regret a quick glance in the mirror. I use the last of my dwindling strength to brush my hair and teeth before I call for Flynn to give me a lift back to bed.
“Do you think you could eat something?”
“I don’t know. Maybe some soup. Later. First I just want to close my eyes for a minute while you hold me.”
“We can do that.”
The next time I open my eyes, sunshine fills the room and I’m alone in bed. I experiment with moving my arms and legs, which seems easier than it was the last time I was awake. My headache seems a bit better, too. I attempt to sit up and have to take a moment before the spinning stops.
Flynn comes into the room wearing a pair of basketball shorts and those sexy glasses that make him look so smart. His hair is standing straight up and he hasn’t shaved in days, but he still makes my heart beat a little faster just by walking into the room with Fluff hot on his heels.
“You look better.”
“I feel a little better.”
“Thank goodness. How about some food?”
“That actually sounds good.”
“Progress, Fluff. I told you Mommy would feel better soon.”
“You guys are getting along okay?”
“We’re living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. She’s learned not to bite the hand that feeds her.”
My heart melts at the adoring gaze Fluff directs his way. “Glad to see something good came out of me getting stricken with the plague.”
“I also got a ton of work done, and I’m all caught up, which makes Hayden very, very happy.”
“Oh good.”
“Not good. I never want to see you that sick again—ever.”
“Let’s hope it was a one-time thing.”
“The doc says you have to take it really easy for a week to ten days, so I canceled the trip to London.”
“No! You have to go! I’ll stay home while you go.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
